Article support bracket



July 20, 1965 A. H. DAHLHAUSER ARTICLE SUPPORT BRACKET Filed Dec. 5,1962 INVENTOR.

.wrhowm mmusm T S T mmvrnamr United States Patent 3,195,846 ARTICLESUPPORT BRACKET Anthony H. Dahlhauser, 20274 Blauer Drive, Saratoga,(Ialif.

Filed Dec. 3, 1962, Ser. No. 241,865 3 Claims. (Cl. 248-224) The presentinvention relates generally to brackets for supporting articles ofvarious types and, more particularly, to a support bracket arranged forremovable mounting on an apertured board. Additionally, the inventionrelates to a method of fabrication of such support bracket.

Apertured boards with associated hooks or alternative forms of articlesupport brackets have come into extensive use in recent years,particularly in retail establishments for the display of numerous smallarticles. The permitted variation in position of the other bracket onthe board so that various sized articles can be supported constitutesthe prime advantage of this display arrangement. However, certainproblems have been encountered with existent structures. For example,existent hooks can be attached to the board only by initial insertion atan angle which in turn requires a predetermined excess spacing betweenadjacent articles so that ultimately the usable space on the mountingboard is not maximized. Furthermore, the relatively recent substitutionof metallic boards for the previous boards composed of compressed fiberor other materials permitting limited distortion has occasioned somedifiiculty in attachment of mounting of the hook or other bracket on theboard itself.

Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to providean article support bracket that can be easily attached to an aperturedboard of fiber or metallic construction, yet when so mounted assures afirm, strong support for the articles.

It is a feature of the invention to provide a support bracket that canbe attached to or detached from an apertured board by motionrectangularly related to the face of the board to obviate the necessityfor angular disposition of the bracket during such insertion orwithdrawal whereby optimum utilization of the existing space on theboard is achieved.

Yet another feature of the invention relates to the provision of anarticle support bracket including integral guide elements to facilitateinsertion or withdrawal of the bracket from the mounting board.

An additional feature of the invention is the provision of an articlesupport bracket that can include a plurality of board engaging hooksphysically spaced to enable simultaneous entry into a plurality of theholes or apertures in the board, wherefore a multiple contact support isprovided.

Yet a further significant feature of the invention is the provision of anovel method for fabrication of the article support bracket whichreadily adapts itself to alternate forms of the bracket providing eithersingle or mul tiple supporting contact with the board.

These as well as additional objects and features of the invention willbecome more apparent from a perusal of the following description of thestructures illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apertured board having bracketsconstituting two distinct embodiments of the present invention mountedthereon,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantiallyalong line 22 of FIG. 1 to illustrate'more clearly the details of themounting arrangement,

FIG. 3 is a sectional view generally similar to FIG. 2 but illustratingthe manner of removal or insertion of the article support bracketrelative to the board itself,

FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating the successive steps of the methodfor fabrication of a bracket embodying the present invention, and

FIGS. 5A through 5D are a series of transverse sectional views takenalong the corresponding section lines in FIG. 4 to facilitate anunderstanding of the method steps.

With initial reference to FIG. 1 an apertured board of more or lessconventional type is illustrated. The board 10 can be formed from fiberboard in which case its thickness would be approximately one quarter ofan inch or, alternatively, can be formed from sheet metal 0 in whichcase a thickness of 0.050 inch provides adequate strength. Regardless ofthe composition of the board 10, it is provided with a plurality ofapertures 12 arranged in vertically and horizontally aligned rows.Preferably, the apertures 12 are approximately one quarter inch indiameter and are spaced one inch apart in each the horizontal andvertical directions.

An article support bracket embodying the present invention includes abase member 20 that is adapted to engage the front surface of the board10 and has attached thereto one or more hook members 22 that are adaptedto project rearwardly from the base member 20 through the apertures 12in the board 10 and establish engagement with the rear surface of theboard. An article carrier is also secured to the base member 20 butprojects forwardly therefrom to enable support of articles thereon. Asshown in FIG. 1, such article carrier may take the form of a simpleprojecting rod 26 or a shelf 28 and, dependent upon the specificrequirements can take many alternative forms which need not be describedsince they, in and of themselves, form no part of the present invention.

With additional reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the base member 20preferably takes the form of a small flat metallic plate having athickness of approximately 0.030 inch and a height and width eachslightly less than one inch. Thus, the base member 20 is adapted toflatly engage the front surface of the board 10 over an area entirelbetween vertically and horizontally adjacent apertures 12 in the board,as clearly illustrated in the upper portion of FIG. 1.

Two hook members 22 are integrally formed with the base plate 20 at itsupper and lower edges, both hook members being bent in the samedirection so that their free extremities lie below the respective upperand lower edges of the base plate. The dimensions of each of the hookmembers 22 projected onto the plane defined by the base plate 20 areless than the size of the apertures 12 in the board so that each of thehook members can be easily inserted or withdrawn therefrom, and thespacing between the hook members 22 is equivalent to the aperturespacing so that both hook members can simultaneously pass throughvertically adjacent apertures by moving perpendicularly to the plane ofthe board 10 to the left as viewed in FIG. 3. Each of the hook members22 is bent into a generally arcuate configuration greater than from theplane of the base member 20 and, preferably as shown, constitutes a bendof approximately 270 so that the free edge 22a of the hook member isparallel to the plane defined by the base plate itself. The spacingbetween this free edge 22a of each hook member 22 and the rear face ofthe base plate 20 that is adapted to engage the front surface of theboard 10 is equal to or slightly greater than the thickness of the boardwherefore this free edge of the hook member is in turn adapted to flatlyengage the rear surface of the board and accordingly provide therequired mounting support.

From the disconnected position shown in FIG. 3, the base plate 20 withthe attached hook members 22 is moved in a direction substantiallyperpendicular to the plane defined by the board 10 so that the hookmembers 22 pass through vertically adjacent apertures 12 in the boardand the base plate 20 comes into flat engagement with the il n frontsurfaceof the board, After such engagement has been made, the unit ismoved downwardly in a direction 3 parallel to the plane of the board 10so'as to bring the free edges 22a of the hookmembers'22xinto engagementvwith the reartsurface. of the, board below such' .apertu'res 12 or, inother words, into the'mounted dispositionillus:

trated most clearly inVFIG. 2;" It is to be expressly ob.-

served that the arcuate bending of the, hook members 22 provides acurvedsurface' at the leading edgefof the hook members during theirinsertion into the apertures. and

these curved surfaces, accordingly serve-as guide elements r v whichfacilitate appropriate alignment of the hook mem ly therefrom; The.length of this rod/26 is limited only by strength requirements since,as previously mentioned,

during mounting or, in other words, in a-direction perpendicular to'theplane defined by the board. Thus, even if the rod 26-isrelatively1ong,,no 'angularidisposition, is necessitated during the mounting ordisconnection of the As shown in the upper portion 7 spirit of theinvention]- As one example, the base plate 20 can'be formedwith but theupper hookrrnember 22 and-still provide an effective bracket, this beingpossible since the edge 22a engagestheflrear ofthe board 10 asignificant distance below the upper-edge of the base plate to thus holdthe base plate 10'against either upward or downward pivotal motion,Accordingly, the foregoing description of two preferred embodiments ofthe-inven- 4 tion and the method, of fabricating the same is to beconsidered in an exemplary sense only -and the actual i scope of theinvention is to be indicated byreference to the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is: p I 1 1. In combination with a board having aplurality of like apertures thereon at regularly spaced vertical andhorizontal intervals when the board lies in a vertical plane, an articlesupport bracket removably mounted on said board-including avertically-disposed base member va simple rod 26 that isspot'welded orotherwise secured to the base plate 20 to project substantiallyperpendicular dimensioned to engage said board betweenvertically-adjacent apertures therein, hookmembers secured to saidvertically-disposed base memberat the upper and lowerextremities-thereof and bent'in the same direction downwardly therefrom,the position and dimensions of said hook members being such that theycansimultaneously pass through vertically-adjacent apertures in said board'when the surface of said board and the board-engaging surface of saidbase member are parallel, said hook' memthe entire unit is moveddirectly towards the board 10 bracket and interference with adjoiningarticles or brackets is eliminated.

- a As shown in the lower prortiontof FIG; l, the carrier can take theform of a flat shelf 28 and, in this event, thebase plate 20'can, forstrength requirements, be elon- I gatedin a horizontal direction andhave attached thereto a pluralityof the hook members 22, ashereinabovedescribed, so that multiple contact support with the.- rearsurface of the board 10 .can be established. 7 i

In accordance with an additional a'spectof the present invention, amethod of fabrication of-t'he' article support brackets in either of thedescribed alternative forms has been simply devised. Generally, .suchmethod includes the fabrication of the base plate 20 and integral hookmembers 22 from an elongated strip S of metallic material by a series ofsteps as best illustrated inFIG. 4 and FIGS. 3

5A through 5D. Briefly, such method includes the-initial I step ofcutting rectangular openingssimultaneously on opposite sides of thestrip at directly opposite positions whereby tabs'T indicated in FIG. 5Aare'formed at spacings which correspond to the aperture spacing of theboard to which the" unit is ultimately to be attached. As a secondstep/the extremity of each of these tabs T is slightly curled or bent,theend of one tab being bent to the left and the other 'to the right, asclearlyillustratedin 5B. Both tabs T are then bent to the left to adisposition substantially at right angles to the planeiof thestrip S asshown in FIG. 5C and as shown in FIG. 5D, both rectangularly bent tabs Twith the'curled' edges are 'subjected to the action of a concave punch,that completes the arcuate curvature of both tabs T onto the finalconfiguration of the hook members 22. As a final step, the strip S issevered to form a small base plate 20 with'upper and lower hook members22 or, alternatively; the strip S may be severed at a greater intervalso that an elongated base plate with a plurality of ,hook'memb ers ofthe t'ype il Various other alterations and/orimodifications in thedescribed structure or in the method of fabricating the same canobviously be made without departing from the,

bers extending through said vertically-adjacent apertures with the freeend of-each of said hook members extending 'toward'said base member andspaced from said base member a distance not less than the thickness ofsaid board.

p 2. In the combination'of claim 1, additional hook members on said basemember at laterally-displaced positions for extension throughhorizontally-spaced apertures in said apertured board. L j

3. In combination with a board having a plurality of like aperturestherein at regularly spaced vertical and horizontal intervals when theboard lies in a vertical plane, an article support bracketrernovablymounted on said board including a vertically-disposed base memberdimen-"sioned to engage said board between vertically-adjacent aperturestherein, mounting'memberssecured to said vertically-disposed base memberat the upper and lower extremitiesthereof and projecting laterallytherefrom, the

position and dimension of said mounting members being such that they cansimultaneously pass through verticallyadjacent apertures'in said boardwhen the, surface of said board and the board-engaging surface of saidbase member are parallel, said mounting members extending through saidvertically-adjacent apertures, the upper mounting member being bentdownwardly .so that the free end thereof extends toward said base memberand is spaced from said base member a distancenot less than thethickness of said board;

{References Cited by the Examiner a UNITED STATES PATENTS 945,280 '1/10Lindberg 248-250 X 1,211,992; 1/17 Winter 248-223 X 1,416,969 j' 5/22OConnor 248-223 1,703,866 3/29 Bowman 29-526 2,140,764 12/38 I Reiter29-148 2,294,151 8/42 Wooten et a1 211-75 2,322,576 6/43 Huebshman etal.' 24-2305 2,461,936 2/49 "Stone 248-220 2,538,958 1/51'v Augenfeld,211-114 2,724,811 11/55 Poupitch 211-87 X 72,859,008 11/58' Zimmer248-223 2,943,835 7/60. Tierney 248-216 7 FOREIGN PATENTS 809,244" 2/59, Great Britain.

CLAUDE A. :LE ROY, Primary Erdnriner.

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A BOARD HAVING A PLURALITY OF LIKE APERTURESTHEREON AT REGULARLY SPACED VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL INTERVALS WHEN THEBOARD LIES IN A VERTICAL PLANE, AN ARTICLE SUPORT BRACKET REMOVABLYMOUNTED ON SAID BOARD INCLUDING A VERTICALLY-DISPOSED BASE MEMBERDIMENSIONED TO ENGAGE SAID BOARD BETWEEN VERTICALLY-ADJACENT APERTURESTHEREIN, HOOK MEMBERS SECURED TO SAID VERTICALLY-DISPOSED BASE MEMBER ATTHE UPPER AND LOWER EXTREMITIES THEREOF AND BENT IN THE SAME DIRECTIONDOWNWARDLY THEREFROM, THE POSITION AND DIMENSIONS OF SAID HOOK MEMBERSBEING SUCH THAT THEY CAN SIMULTANEOUSLY PASS THROUGH VERTICALLY-ADJACENTAPERTURES IN SAID BOARD WHEN THE SURFACE OF SAID BOARD AND THEBOARD-ENGAGING SURFACE OF SAID BASE MEMBER ARE PARALLEL, SAID HOOKMEMBERS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID VERTICALLY-ADJACENT APERTURES WITH THEFREE END OF EACH OF SAID MEMBERS EXTENDING TOWARD SAID BASE MEMBER ANDSPACED FROM SAID BASE MEMBER A DISTANCE NOT LESS THAN THE THICKNESS OFSAID BOARD.